Day 276: F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this line for his character, Jordan, in The Great Gatsby, which was said, ironically, on the hottest day of the year when the characters were cursing the heat.
It is ironic, because, usually, Fall is considered the “beginning of the end,” where earth is harvested and her colors flame to a crispy brown. We don’t think of Fall as life starting over. We save those thoughts for Spring.
Yet, Fall feels like a beginning to me. Maybe it’s the beginning of the end, but it’s still a beginning.
Take today, for instance. The temperature has finally dropped. There is a newness in the cool air. The changing leaves hold newness in their brilliant color. And the anticipation of their crunch beneath our feet feels somehow new, too, like Earth is shrugging off Her wispy layer of summery green to pull on Her vibrant sweater of ambers and golds to keep her cozy on these long Autumn evenings.
Soon enough, Earth will abandon her Autumn sweater for a thick coat of Winter white, and that will feel new to me, too, so even if Mr. Fitzgerald wrote the line with some snark, I’m still thinking his words are ultimately true.
Life starts over with each and every season, and that’s a blessing, because we humans need a new beginning every now and then to help us continue on our way.
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